DIY and Entry-Level 3D-Scanner Forum

(Please let me know if I should ask this in another forum instead)

Hi guys! I want to capture a "reasonable quality" model of a person's body, for measurements.

The demands are pretty low: no facial details necessary, and texture doesn't matter. The person being scanned could conceivably be standing still, and wear a dress with a grid reference points on it to improve accuracy. I've done some 3D scanning of static objects with a single 10MP Casio and multiple shots around the object, with great results with PhotoScan.

For a human body however, even standing as still as they can, a multi-camera setup is obviously necessary for good results.

Here's my question: How many cameras, and what resolution, would I need for say 1x1 inch resolution with max +-1/4 inch error? Do you guys have any idea what I would need for this type of photogrammetry on the super cheap? I'm looking at buying a bunch of remote-triggered compact cameras and building something like the 40 x Raspberry Pi 3D scanner, but with the physical shutter and higher megapixel count in a compact camera.

I've been lurking here for a while and somebody posted about somebody getting great results with as few as 12 cameras. I was not able to figure out who that was though, or where to read more about it.

Do you think I could get by with as little as 4 cameras? Should I go for 4 high quality DLSRs instead of 12 compacts?

I'm a poor student without a job and will buy everything on eBay, so I'm looking to spend no more than $500 on cameras, if possible. That is why I'm asking here first instead of just getting a bunch cameras and see how it goes; I can't really afford to waste $500 on something that was doomed from the start anyway.

You could try it with a display/window dummy or something like that, that is standing absolutly still, and optimise shooting with your single 10MP Casio. If you are able to find only 12 camera stations to solve your measurement problem you have done, but I doubt you are able to . Nevertheless I would try it with 2 circles of 6 camera positions.

The best forum for such questions is of course the forum from Agisoft.

Karsten